Magazine feed apparatus for shredding and spinning machines.



a. A. LOWRY. MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDIJING AND SPINNING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, I9I6- Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET I.

lamina-aluminum G. A. LOWRY.

MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING AND SPINNING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 1916.

1,258,795. Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. A. LOWRY. -v MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING AND SPINNING MACHINES.

. APPLICATION man JUNE 1, ms. 1,258,795. Patented Mar. 12, 1918. N e SHEETS-SHEET 3.

5 Q m X Q k i a) a \Q:

I h|\:' Ff

G. A. LOWRY. MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING AND SPINNING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. l9I6 Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

G. A. LOWRY. I MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDDI-NG AND SPINNING MACHINES.

Patented Mar. 12, 1918.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 7. 1916.

G. A. LOWRY. MAGAZINE FEED APPARATUS FOR SHREDDING ANDSPINNING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7. 19'6- Patented Mar. 1211918.

' 6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

ion

GEORGE LOV/RY, 0F JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

MAGAZINE FEED AIPPARATUS FOR SHREDDING AND SPINNING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented n. 12, rots.

Application filed June 7, 1916. Serial No. 102,196.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Grease A. LowRY, a citizen. of the United States, and residing at Jackson ville, in the county of Duva-l, State of Florida, have made a certain new and useful invention in Magazine FeedApparatus for Shredding and Spinning Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to magazine feeding apparatus for shredding and spinning machines. I

The object of the invention is to provide a machine for making magazine feeders for shredding and spinning machines.

A. further object of the inventionis to provide a machine of the class described which is simple in construction and efficient in ()P'Sl'ill'lOll.

Further objects of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter. V

The invention consists substantially in the construction. combination, location and relative arrangement of parts, all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and finally pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings Figures 1 and 1- form atop plan view of a machine embodying my invention.

Figs. 2 and 2 form a view in side elevation of the same. r

Fig. 3 is a view in sectiontalien on the line 8-3 Fig. 1., and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a similar view taken on the line 4, at, Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view showing a portion of the machine disclosed in Fig. 2

Fig. 6 is a view in section taken on the line 6, (S, Fig. 4L, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 7 a view in perspective of one portion of the chain disclosed in Fig. 6.

v Fig. 8 is a broken detail view in section taken on the line 8--8, Fig. 2, and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 9 is a similar view on the line 9-9, Fig. 8. I

Fig. 10 is a detail view in top plan of a portion of the chain conveyer as employed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 11 is a top plan view of the structure disclosed in Fig. 7.

Fig. 12 is a view in side elevation of the magazine maker, employed in accordance with my invention.

magazine plate.

Fig. 14 is a front view of the magazine plate housing, the plate being omitted.

The same part is designated by the same reference numeral wherever it occurs throughout the several views.

The leaves of the palmetto or palm which. grow abundantly in Florida and in other tropical localities, are capable of being shredded or cut into fibers which are strong and easily capable of being spun into twine, for use in various ways. The sections or the. leaves are ordinarily long, flat and narrow with a central stem or back bone, and in preparing and presenting them for the action of the shredding devices, they are individually separated from each other, and from the trunk of the leaf and are individually fed into the shredding and spinning machine, which slits each leaf longitudinally in successive stages of its length.

Machines of this description are shown and described in my prior application Serial No. 824:,136, filed March 12, 19141, and Serial No. 870,766, filed Nov. 6, 1914.

In one machine of this type it is necessary to first separate the leaves from each other Fig. 13 is a front view of a portion of the and from the trunk as above pointed out,,

and then each leaf is fed into the machine by hand. This is objectionable in that the machine can be made to operate faster than it is possible to feed the same, and therefore the efficiency of the machine is not as high as it should be.

In another type of machine, the leaves are separated hereinbefore described, and are then placed on a feeding strip or magazine and are automatically fed into the shredding nachine. In this type of machine, it is necessary to place the individual leaves on the feeding strip or magazine by hand,

which involves considerable labor and a great waste of time. 7

It is among the special purposes of my present invention to provide a machine which will receive palmetto or palm leaves,

and which will automatically separate theleavesthereof from each other, and from the trunk, and will place the same evenly and regularly upon a feeding strip or magazine, of any desired length, which feeding strip or magazine may be employed in connection with either of the types of machines hereinbefore mentioned, thereby securing automatic feed of any desired 7 rapidity,

eliminating labor, and keeping the output of the machine up to the maximum,

In accordance with my invention ll provide a suitable frame 1 in which is ournaled a shaft 2, which shaft may be rotated from any suitable source of power, by means, for instance, of the pulley or drum 3. Suitably carried by shaft 2, to be rotated thereby is a gear wheel 4.- which meshes with and drives a similar gear wheel 5, mounted on shaft 6, which is also journaled in frame 1, mounted on the shaft 6 to rotate there. ith is a belt or rope pulley 7. Also jour'naled in the frame 1 is a shaft 8 parallel to the shafts 2 and 6, hereinbefore described. Mounted on the shaft 8, to be rotated therewith, is a belt or rope pulley similar to but of relatively larger diameter than the pulley '7. Also journaled in the frame 1 and parallel to the shafts hereinbefore described, is a shaft 10 upon which is mounted to rotate therewith, a similar belt or rope pulley 11. A. belt or pulley 12 passes over the pulleys 'i', 9, and 1.1, as clearly shown, and preferably over an adjustable pulley 13, which is secured to a portion of the frame 1 by means of a spring 146 which insures the proper tautncss of the belt or pulley.

From the foregoing it will be seen that when the shaft 2 is rotated, say clockwise, the pulley 7 is'rotated counter clockwise thereby causing the belt or rope 12 to rotate the pulley 9 and shaft 8 clockwise, and the shaft 10 and pulley 11 counter clockwise.

Suitably journaled in the frame 1, and adapted to be rotated by the rotation of shaft 2, by any suitable gearing, not shown, is a horizontal shaft 1%, on which .is mounted a gear wheel 15, wl ich meshes with and drives a gear wheel. 16 mounted on a vertical shaft 17. Suitably secured to the upper end of the vertical shaft 17, is a disk or plate 18, to which is secured on diametrically opposite sides thereof, knives or knife blades 19, prefeably with a concave curvature as shown.

As is known, the palmetto lea when spread out, consists of a plurality of blades of relatively increasing lengths, all attached to a common stem or trunt, at their lowermost ends. The leaf blades are also socured to each other at their lower ends, as has hereinbefore been explainet The whole leaf is held by the stem or stalk, and the individual blades thereof are placed in turn between the two pulleys? and 9, so that on the rotation thereof counter clockwise and clockwise, respectively, the points of the leaf blades are caught and clamped between the rope or belt 12 and the pulley 9. Being I driven from the same source as the pulley 7,

the horizontal knife disk 18 'is rotated in proportionate speed relative thereto, so that one knife operates between every two blades of the leaf thereby separating them from each other and from the stalk as will be clearly understood.

Mounted on the shaft 10, to rotate there with, is a sprocket wheel 20 over which operates an endless chain 21, to which are cured equally spaced lingers or elbows 22, each being provided with a vertically extending portion as shown. The individually separated leaves are fed from between the pulley 9 and rope or belt 12 onto the chain 21, each leaf lying between two of the elbow portions. The chain 21 is formed in two parts, that is there are two separate chains, as shown, converging at the shaft 10 and sprocket wheel 20, and diverging at the other end of the machine, as will be more fully hereinafter described. At the other end of the frame, or what we will term the.

end of the machine to distinguish the same from the portion thus far described, what we term the head of the machine, is a horizontal transversely extending shaft 23 suitably journaled in the frame 1. Near the ends of the shaft 23 are sprocket wheels 24, over which the two endless i chains 21 pass as shown. Thus it will be seen that the individual leaves, as shown at 25, Fig. 5, are fed onto the chains 21, lyir endwise across the same, between the elbow portions 22 of the chain the main body of the leaf resting on the table 26, and passing under suitable wire guides, or retainers 27, 28, to prevent the leaves from curling up or becoming otherwise displaced. The leaves are thus individually conveyed to the end of the machine and operated upon as will be more fully hereinafter described.

The chains 21 may be kept at the proper degree of tautness by means of the sprocket wheel 29 over which it operates, which wheel is mounted on one end of a pivotally mounted lever 30 which is suitably secured to the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 2 The other end of the lever is secured to the frame 1 by means of a spring 31 which normally tends to project the sprocket wheel against the chains 21, thereby maintaining the chain taut, as will be readily understood.

To facilitate the rotation of the shafts 8 and 23, the shaft 8 may be driven from the power shaft 2, by suitable gearing, not shown, and the shaft 23, may be driven by a suitable chain 32 operating over sprocket wheels 33, 34, mounted on shafts 23 and 8, respectively. p

Mounted on the shaft 23, is a suitable sprocket wheel 35,-over which operates an endless chain 36, which upon revolution of the shaft 23, rotates a sprocket wheel 37 which is mounted on a shaft 38, suitably journaled in the frame 1, in parallel relation. to the shaft 23. The chain 36 is provided with equally spaced pivotally mounted fingers or elbow elements 39 which are adapted to normally hang below the upper surface of the chain 36, but, upon striking the platform 40, see Fig. 4, the arm portion of the elbowv member is swung into a substantially vertical position, as shown;

Mounted on the shaft 23, on the exterior of the frame 1, is a gear wheel 41, which, upon the rotation of the'shaft 23, rotates a similar gear wheel 42, mounted on shaft 43, which shaft is also suitably journaled in the frame 1. Also mounted On the shaft 43, is a gear wheel 44, which meshes with and drives a gear wheel 45, which is mounted on a shaft 46. Eccentrically mounted on the shaft 46, is a cam 47, which is provided with an up- -wardly extending arm 48, which in turn is secured to a lever 49, the lever being pivotally connected to a link 50, and the link being connected to a shaft 7 3, journaled in an upwardly extending portion 51, of the frame 1, all as clearly shown.

Mounted on the shaft 46, to rotate there with, is a belt or rope pulley 53, over which operates a belt or rope 54, to drive a similar belt or rope pulley 55, secured to a shaft 56. A bevel gear 57 secured to one end of the shaft 56, meshes with and drives a similar gear 58, which is mounted on shaft 59. Sha ft 59 is provided with an eccentric point 60 which agitates a pivoted arm 61, thereby securing a periodic vibration of the guide or retainer 27, and preventing any of the leaves from becoming clogged or stuck to each other or to the table of platform 26. The other end of the shaft 56 is provided with a gear wheel 62 which meshes with and drives a similar gear wheel 63, mounted on the shaft 64. Also mounted on the shaft 64 is a roller 65 preferably with a sand-paper surface. Thus it will beseen that as the roller 65 is positioned at the approximate middle distance between the chains 21, and as the indi vidual leaves lie across the respective chains 21, in contact with the under surface of the leaves and causes them to assume a position in perfect alinement with each other against the guide 28. I

An extension 66 of the. frame 1 carries an upright member 67 near the end thereof, see Fig. 4, and at the end carries a housing 68 provided with grooves 69 on each side running throughout the vertical length thereof through which a magazine strip 70 is adapted to slide. The magazine strip 70, see Fig. 13, is provided with equi-distanced perforations 71 along its center, and along its edges is provided with fine pointed needles 72.

The shaft'l3 as has been hereinbefore stated is journaled in frame 51, and in the upwardly extending portion 67 of the frame 66. Secured to the shaft 73 is a lever 74, normally held downwardly by the tension spring 75, pivotally secured to the end of the lever 74, is a bell cranklever 76, normally heldoutwardly by the tension spring 77.

The end of. the bell crank lever 76 is Prov ded with an upwardly extending point as shown in Fig. 12, and it will be-readily understood that when the shaft 7 3 is rocked, the magazine strip 70, is lifted upwardly, the end of the bell crank lever 7 6 automatically. disengaging from the strip 70, when the. lever 7 4 assumes its normal position, and engaging the strip 7 0 again at its next lower perforation 71. To prevent the strip 70 from slip pingwhen it is not being held by.v the bell crank lever 76, we provide a pawl 7.8 yieldingly held in engaging relation with respect to the perforations 71of the strip 70 by.

means of the coiled spring 79.

'Mounted on the shaft 46, is a fly wheel 30, provided with a crank pin 81, to which is secured an arm 82., which is provided with a slot 83, at its end to allow the same to be. movably mounted on a portion of the frame 1, as shown in Fig. 3. The crank pin operates against a spring spanker 84, which is adapted to come behind the leaf held between each pair of fingers and pat or spank the leaf into the needles of the magazine strip. The spanker 84 may be of any. desired shape for the purpose required. For example, it may be a spring bar preferably fork shaped at its free endas shown in Figs. 1

3 and 12, or it may be a straight spring bar with a bend or loop formed in its length for resiliency, as shown in Fig. 4.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be seen as each leaf 25 comes opposite to the chain 36, the elbow 39, upon coming in contact with the table 40, raises the leaf upon its edge, and as the spanker is actuated from the same common source of power, the spanker comes behind each leaf and presses the same upon the magazine strip, which automatically rises or is pulled up a notch or the distance between perforations.

It is desirable to so'c ontrol the movement of the magazine strip so that it will not be lifted up unless a leaf has been impinged I upon its needles, thereby preventing lost space on the magazine strip due to imperfect or careless feedin I have shown one arrangement for accomplishing this wherein we provide a thin wire shaft 90, extending across the top of the endof the machine suitably journaled in the'frame as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the shaft being held normally twisted counter clockwise, by means of a spring 91, see Figs. 1 and 4. At one end of the shaft isa ratchet 93, held out ofcontact with the hooked portion of the lever 49, as explained. Depending from the'approximate center of the shaft is a. pointer 94 adapted to swing between the respective chains 21. Thispointer 'is' of "suiiicient length that if a leaf passes beneath it, it is pushed thereby upon thetravel of the chain, and consequently the shaft 90 is rocked clockwise causing the ratchet to engage the not engaged, the shaft 90 is not rocked, the

lever 49 is not engaged by the ratchet 93,

and therefore on the upward stroke of the cam arm 48, the lever 49, is merely pushed upward on its pivotal connection 98, with the link 50.-

It will readily be understood that by short ening or lengthening the arm 48, with respect to its connection with the lever -19, by means of the connection points 99 shown in 2, the magazine strip 70, may be raised upwardly any desired distance.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that every moving part of the machine is actuated from the same source of power through chains, ropes, belts, or gear wheels, and therefore it will readily be understood that the relative speed of operation of any of the moving parts may be completely con trolled and any desired ratio or relation secured.

In Figs. 8 and 9, we show an attachment 100 which is secured to the shaft 6, and which is provided with needles 101 to facilitate the feed of the leaves into the machine.

To more clearly illustrate my invention 1 will now describe the operation of the machine as a whole, assuming that the same is in operation and all of the parts hereinbefore described are being operated from the common source of power through the drum 3. i

The palmetto or palm leaf is held by the operator by the stalk or stem, and the blades are fed between the pulleys, 7 and 9. The needle member 100 catches each blade of the leaf and passes the same under the rope 12, which clamps it against the pulley 9, while at the same time the knife blades 19, separate each blade from the other and from the stalk. Each separate blade is then delivered from the pulley 9 and the belt 12, upon the platform 26, where it is caught between the fingers 22 of the chains 21, lying in a fiat condition. The chains 21, serve as a conveyor to convey the blades to the end of the machine where they are properly alined by means of the sand paper roller 65, and are delivered upon the chain 36, the elbow fingers 39, of which, upon coming in contact with the table 40, raise each blade on edge, and in conjunction with the chains 5 21, convey each blade toward the magazine and an empty one is placed in position for use. The filled magazine strip is then in condition for use in the shredding and spinning machine which turns out the commercial product.

Although I have shown and described in detail a specific machine embodying the principles of my invention, it will be understood that many changes in details will readily occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the broad scope of my invention as defined in the claims.

Therefore, what I claim as new and useful and of my own invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a magazine strip and means for feeding leaf blades thereto and means for impaling said leaf blades thereon. 2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a magazine strip and means for feeding leaf blades thereto and means for impaling said leaf blades thereon and means for moving said magazine strip after each blade is impaled thereon.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination with means for feeding leaves into said machine, means for separating the blades of said leaves, a magazine strip, and means for. conveying said separated blades to said magazine strip, and means for im-' paling said blades upon said magazine strip.

4. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, a conveyer for the blades of said leaves and a magazine strip therefor, means for impaling said blades thereon, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other and from the stalk thereof.

5. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, a conveyer for the blades of said leaves and a magazine strip therefor, means for impaling said blades thereon, of means for maintaining said leaf blades flat upon said conveyer.

6. The combination with means for feedmg leaves into a magazine machine, a conveyer for the blades of said leaves, and a magazine strip therefor, means for impaling said blades thereon, of means for alining said blades with respect to each other prior to feeding them to said magazine strip.

7. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, a conveyer for theblades of said leaves, and a magazine strip therefor, means for feeding the blades to said strip, of means for raising said blades on edge prior to feeding them to said magazine strip. v

8. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a magazine strip, means for feeding leaves into said machine, a conveyer for conveying the blades of said leaves to said strip, and means for impaling said blades upon said strip.

9. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, a magazine strip, a conveyer for conveying the blades of said leaves to said magazine strip therefor, of means for advancing said magazine strip after each blade is delivered thereto.'

10. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, a magazine strip, a conveyer for conveying the blades of said leaves to said magazine strip therefor, of means controlled by the travel of each blade, for advancing the magazine strip after the preceding blade had been delivered thereto. a

11. In a machine of the class described the combination with a single source of power, means actuated by said source for receiving leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source for delivering the blades of said leaves to a magazine strip, of means also actuated from said source for separating the blades of each leaf prior to the delivery of the blades to said conveyer.

12. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a single source of power, means actuated by said source for receiving leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source for delivering the blades of said leaves to the magazine strip, of means for retaining said leaves fiat upon said conveyer, and means actuated from said source for agitating said retaining means to prevent the means actuated by said source for receiving leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source for delivering the blades of said leaves to a magazine strip, of means actuated from said source for raising said blades on edge preparatory to delivering them to said magazine strip.

15. In a machine of the class described, the

combination with a single source of power,

means actuated by'said source for receiving leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source for delivering the blades of said leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source for delivering the blades of said leaves to a magazine strip, of means actuated from said source for advancing said magazine strip after each blade is delivered thereto. y

17. In. a machine of the class described, the combination with a single source of power, means actuated by said source for receiving leaves fed thereto, a conveyer actuated by said source, for delivering the blades of said leaves to a'magazine strip, of means controlled by the travel of each blade, and actuated from said source for advancing the magazine strip only when the preceding blade has been delivered thereto.

' 18. The combination with means for feed ing leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto and means for transferring said blades to said magazine strip.

19. The combination with means for feedin g leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the sepae" rated blades to a conveyer, a. magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, means for retaining said blades flat on said conveyer, and means for transferring said blades from said conveyer to said magazine strip.

20. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to aconveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, means for alining said blades on'said conveyer with respect to each other, and means for transferring said alined blades from said conveyer to said magazine strip.

21, The combination with means for feed- 1 ing leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, means for retaining said blades flat on said conveyer, means for raising said blades on edge, and means for transferring each-of said blades in its raised position to said magazinestrip.

22. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for sieparatingthejblades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the sepa:

the separated blades to a conveyor, a maga-.

zine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, and means for transferring said blades to said magazine strip, and means controlled by the leaf blades on said conveyor for advancing the magazine strip only when the preceding blade has been delivered thereto.

24. The combination with means for feed ing leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, and means to retain and aline with respect to each other said blades on said conveyer, and means for transferring said blades to said magazine strip. l

25. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, and means to retain and aline with respect to each other said blades on said conveyer, means for raising said blades on edge on said conveyor, and means for transferring said blades in their raised position to said magazine strip.

26. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyor delivering thereto, means to retain and aline with respect to each other said blades on said conveyer, and means to impale said blades upon said magazine strip.

27. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the sepa rated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyor delivering thereto, means to retain and aline with respect to each other said blades on said conveyer, means for raising said blades on edge on said conveyer, and means to impale said blades while in their raised position upon said magazine strip.

28. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, means to retain and aline 'Wlth respect to each said after each blade is delivered'thereto.

29. The combination with means for feeding leaves into a magazine machine, of means for separating the blades of said leaves from each other, means for delivering" the separated blades to a conveyer, a magazine strip, said conveyer delivering thereto, means to retain and aline with respect to each other said blades on said conveyer, means for raising said blades on edge on said conveyer, and means to impale said bladeswhile in their. raised position upon said magazine strip, and means controlled by the travel of each blade for advancing the magazine strip only when the preceding blade has been delivered thereto.

30. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a magazine strip having needles projecting therefrom, means to separately impale palmetto or palm leaf blades on said needles and means for advancing said strip.

31. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a magazine strip hav-' ing needles projecting therefrom, means for delivering individual leaf blades to and impaling them upon. said needles in successive order, and means for advancing said strip.

In a machine of the class described, the combination with a magazine strip having needles projecting therefrom, means for delivering individual leaf blades to and impaling them upon said needles in successive order, and a ratchet device for advancing said strip, said ratchet device being controlled by successive leaf blades.

33. In a machine of the class described a magazine strip having needles projecting therefrom, means for delivering leaf blades to said strip, and a spanker device for impaling said blades on the needles of said strip.

111 a machine of the class described, a magazine strip having needles projecting therefrom, means for delivering leaf blades,- flatwise to said magazine strip' 35. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a plurality of pulleys, means for driving the same, a belt operating around said pulleys and knife blades actuated by said belt and operating in a plane 7 at right angles to the plane of said belt.

36. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a plurality of pulleys, a belt operating over all of said pulleys, means for actuating one of said pulleys, and means for feeding palmetto leaves between two of said pulleys and between one of them and said belt.

37 In a machine of the class described,

Cit

the combination with a plurality of pulleys, a beltoperating over all of said pulleys, means for actuating one of said pulleys, and

means for feeding palmetto leaves between two of said pulleys, and an eccentric pin pointed device, for forcing the leaf blades of said leaves between said pulleys.

38. In a machine of the class described, a chain conveyer including vertically extending fingers attached thereto, and means for feeding individual palmetto leaf blades be tween the-fingers of said conveyer.

39. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer comprising two diverging chains, each chain having vertically extending fingers equally spaced thereon, and means for delivering palmetto leaf blades fiatwise between said fingers and extending across said chains.

40. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer comprising two diverging chains, each chain having vertically extending fingers equally spaced thereon, and means for delivering palmetto leaf blades fiatwise between said fingers and extending across said chains and wire guides to retain said leaf blades in their fiat position on said chains.

4C1. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer comprising diverging chains and a rough surfaced rotating alining device positioned between said conveyer and actuated thereby.

42. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer comprising two diverging endless chains, an auxiliary chain of comparatively short length positioned between said diverging chains and acting in conjunction therewith, means for retaining leaf blades flatwise upon said conveyer chains, and pivotal fingers attached to said auxiliary edge.

In a machine of the class described, a frame provided with a vertical extension, a shaft journaled in said vertical extension, a lever attached to said shaft, a magazine strip, said lever being yieldingly secured to said strip, and means for rocking said shaft to raise said strip.

at. In a machine of the class described, a frame provided with a vertical extension, ashaft journaled in said vertical extension, a lever attached to said shaft, a magazine strip, said lever being yieldingly secured to said strip, and means for rocking said shaft to raise said strip, and independent means for holding said strip in its raised position.

+15. Ina machine of the class described,'a conveyer, a shaft extending horizontally above the same, and means actuated by contact with a leaf blade carried on said conveyer for rocking said shaft, a magazine strip, and means actuated by the rocking of said shaft for advancing said magazine strip.

i6. In a machine of the class described, a conveyer, a shaft extending horizontally above the same, and means actuated by contact with a leaf blade carried on said conveyer for rocking said shaft, a magazine strip, and means actuated by the travel of a leaf blade on said conveyer for rocking said shaft to raise said strip.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand on this 2nd day of June, A. D.,

enoieen A. LOWRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

chain for raising said leaf bladeson 

